The NFL adopts a limited instant replay system. This system was dropped, however, in 1992 before the current instant replay system was instated in 1999. In effect, you could say the current system is an instant replay itself!

NFL Adopts Instant Replay … For The First Time is original content of This Day in Tech History.

Tsai Lun (or Cai Lun), a eunuch in service to the Emperor of China, shows the court his version of paper. Lun had been experimenting with and refining a process for making paper that had been in use for two centuries prior. His paper, perhaps the first to incorporate wood, became the basis of the Chinese paper industry that eventually spread to the rest of the world a few hundred years later.

This is also perhaps the earliest event in technology history with a recorded date!

Paper is Shown To Emperor of China, Paper Industry is Launched is original content of This Day in Tech History.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) arrives at the Red Planet and enters its initial orbit. The MRO’s primary mission was to search for the existence of water on Mars along with several other objectives. Initially designed to carry out its main mission for two years and supporting objectives for four years, the MRO is still in operation as of 2023. The MRO has returned over 445 terabits of data, helped locate safe landing sites for NASA’s Mars landers and discovered ice and possible flowing water on the Red Planet’s surface.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Reaches Red Planet is original content of This Day in Tech History.

The NASDAQ Composite Index reaches 5,048.62 which becomes the peak of the Dot-Com Bubble. Since 1995, led by the growth of the Internet, e-commerce, and all the infrastructure required to support it, the NASDAQ had risen by 400%.  After reaching this peak many factors led to the rapid bursting of the bubble over the course of the next several months in which many online and technology companies shut down, were acquired, or lost large portions of their value. By October 2002 the NASDAQ had fallen 78% losing virtually all its gains during the Dot-Com Bubble.

Dot-Com Bubble Peaks Out is original content of This Day in Tech History.

Alexander Graham Bell makes the fateful call to his assistant, Mr. Watson, which is considered the first phone call in history: “Mr. Watson come here I want you.”

Mr. Bell Calls Mr. Watson is original content of This Day in Tech History.

United States Vice President Al Gore gives an interview on CNN’s Late Edition in which he states, “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.” This is the infamous statement which will be widely misquoted as “I invented the Internet.”

I Invented the Internet is original content of This Day in Tech History.

Apple, IBM, and Motorola form the PowerOpen Association along with 4 other companies to promote and support the deployment of the PowerPC processor. The PowerPC would most famously be used for many generations of Apple Macintosh computers, but also found its way into use in video games consoles from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. As a competitor to Intel’s x86 line of processors, the RISC-based PowerPC for a time boasted more powerful designs and influenced the development of RISC processing technology that has been incorporated into many modern processors. 

Apple, IBM, Motorola form PowerOpen Association is original content of This Day in Tech History.

IBM introduces the IBM Personal Computer XT, which stands for eXtended Technology. For a price of $4,995, it features a Intel 8088 processor, a 10MB hard drive, eight expansion slots, serial port, 128 kB RAM, 40Kb ROM, a keyboard, and one double-sided 360kB floppy drive.

IBM Introduces PC-XT is original content of This Day in Tech History.

Philips introduced the Compact Disc to the world at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Sony and Philips cooperated to standardize on a 12 cm diameter disc as it would have enough audio data capacity to hold Beethoven’s 74-minute Ninth Symphony.  

Compact Disc Introduced is original content of This Day in Tech History.

Lead programmer Doug Ross demonstrates Director, the first permanent set of instructions for a computer on MIT’s Whirlwind. In essence this is the first concept of an operating system. Loaded by paper tape, Director would allow operators to load multiple problems in Whirlwind by taking advantage of newer, faster photoelectric tape reader technology, eliminating the need for manual human intervention in changing tapes on older mechanical tape readers.

The First Computer Operating System is original content of This Day in Tech History.